Closed Doors or Double Surprises. No place, no date [around 1820]. Miniature collection (77 x 55 mm) . 6 short stories in 6 quires of 4 pages and 6 pretty finely watercoloured transformacy plates, (transparency also watercoloured), all in leaves, in a green paper cardboard case, with the lithographed title on pink paper glued on the front cover. (Publisher’s bookcase).
Very rare charming little collection with moving illustrations, each depicting a character standing in front of a door, behind which is a second character, then a third through transparency, “the double surprise”. Each story praises female deception : « La Fileuse », « Le Papillon », « La Dansomanie », « La Volière », « Hyacinthe » and “Le Châtelain” (unequivocal named Cornufignac).
There is also another collection, in a pink bookcase with lithographed title on green paper, including six other different stories. The New York Public Library presents it in a video as a new acquisition of the Pforzheimer collection and emphasizes its great rarity as, it is specified, there are only three copies in the world. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qntVQ4llYwE).
About our collection, we didn’t find another copy..
Gumuchian, n°2027
The engravings are in an exceptional freshness; text leaves have small slit at the fold, a small miss at a corner of “La Volière” without damage of the text, and small foxing corresponding to the notch of the case, which is a little rubbed. Very beautiful and rare copy.
4 500 €